Jun 26, 2012

Need a macaroni salad to bring to your next BBQ without tons of fat and calories? Look no further!

This is the perfect summer pasta salad loaded with fresh summer tomatoes and zucchini tossed in a light creamy dressing. I even snuck in some Greek yogurt for added creaminess but with all the other flavors you won't know it's there. Because there are so many wonderful vegetables in this salad, the portions are a decent size and pairs perfectly with any grilled meats and burgers.

This makes enough for a large gathering, perfect for your Fourth of July parties but if you want to make this for a smaller group you can simply halve the recipe as I did here.

Cook pasta in generously salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a medium bowl, combine onions, mayonnaise, vinegar, yogurt, mustard, oregano, garlic powder; mix well. Add tomatoes (and any juice from the tomato), zucchini, pasta, salt and pepper to taste, toss well and place in a large bowl.

I am defintely making this this week! I have everything already at home. Sounds delish! Thanks! I made the warm corn salad last night with our tacos and it was excellent. My husband loved it and finished it off today. :)

There is store-brand vegan "mayo" or you can make your own: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/saucesdipsspreads/r/veganmayo.htmmake your own]. Vegan "Greek yogurt" is also tofu based. Chocolate Covered Katie has a replication here: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/01/22/like-eating-a-bowl-of-whipped-cream/.

Great combination of flavors. I also added 1/2 cup red & yellow chopped peppers and a 1/2 cup of sliced Spanish green olives. I was out of elbow macaroni so I used whole wheat fusilli which worked well.

I love this recipe. It is so colorful, fun, and an all-american treat that's perfect for the Fourth of July. Do you think I could substitute anything for the mayonnaise because my family doesn't usually buy it.

Your timing is impeccable... my sister in-law literally just asked me to bring veggies for our 4th of July family gathering - told her our garden is having its' best year ever and I would come up with something - you just did that for me!! Can't wait to try it!!

One thing I've done with pasta salad in the past is sprinkle some vinegar on it after it drains in the colander - I usually use seasoned rice vinegar to boost the taste a bit, without any extra calories.

I made this last night and can't wait for the leftovers for lunch - delicious! I am not a tomato fan so I swapped for carrots and black olives. I also added grilled chicken to make it a meal and not just a side. SO GOOD! thanks Gina!

Another fabulous recipe! I made this last night and it was wonderful. My teenage daughter actually came into the kitchen and said - "if its from that skinnytaste website I'll eat it because I love all her recipes". We added some orange bell pepper to add more color.

Thanks Gina! I've tried your other macaroni recipes and am really excited to try this one! I got designated potato & pasta salad for 4th of July festivities! I'm making this and the Baby Red Potato Salad! I'm sure everyone will love it since we're all watching our weight!

P.S. I'm down 7 lbs since June 1st and have been using your recipes almost exclusively for lunch & dinners!

Made this for dinner last night. No zucchini, used red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, black olives. The dressing was great. Husband said it was good..he wasnt crazy about the Warm Mexican Corn Salad,which I couldn't get enough of, but everything else I have made from this site has been a keeper. He's on a diet and doesn't even know it!!!

Made this yesterday for a potluck. Lots of positive comments. It was fresh, flavorful, and the tasty dressing provided plenty of moisture. The leftovers were a bit dry after being in the fridge overnight, so I might add a little more dressing. Thanks!

I just made this and it is amazing. Thank you for all of your great and easy-to-make recipes. I never do things like these but so far have done the fiesta lime rice, mini cheesecakes, and this one. Excellent for my family. :)

Just made this for a small lunch party we're having at work tomorrow. I had to sneak a cup (2 actually). So good. It made a TON. I was originally going to half the recipe and keep it for lunch throughout the week but when they sprang the lunch party on me today, i figured i might as well just make the whole batch and hopefully still have leftovers. I'm stuffed!

Oooh! BTW! I used regular yellow mustard because i didn't feel like buying a whole jar of dijon knowing it wouldn't get used. Still delicious. And! The cup servings.. are you going by weight or volume? 'Cause i weighed out the two cups but stopped short at 15 ounces because it seemed like too much. Should i be measuring out my cup servings with a pyrex (volume) rather than with a kitchen scale (weight)?

I'm a little confused. The recipe says "...for a smaller group you can simply halve the recipe AS I DID HERE." So are the ingredients listed for 16 servings or not? One small zucchini and 1/2 cup red onion doesn't sound like nearly enough for 16 servings? Nor do many of the other ingredients.

YUM! Made this last night for my neighborhood bbq and everyone loved it and nobody guessed it was "skinny-fied". The thought crossed my mind to halve the zucchini lengthwise and grill them for a few minutes on each side to give it good grill flavor, do you think the zucchini would get mushy? I loved it as is, I was just curious. ;)

THIS MADE A TON! WOW!! Good thing I like it a lot cause I'll be eating it for a week! :) (we had way too much food at our 4th. Next time I'll switch back to whole wheat. The white really doesn't fill me up enough. I think I've gotten too used to the whole wheat!

I ended up making this with orzo and it was fantastic! I swapped out the zucchini for peppers because I prefer them (and had them) and I added celery because I can't have macaroni salad without them! This is DELISH!!! Love it so much! THanks once again.

Just made this a few minutes ago! I found a box of a new type of Barilla pasta. It is mini farfalle pasta made with tomatoes and carrots! Not only is it delicious, has a serving of veggies in each serving, but it's really cute and perfect for this pasta salad.

Wow, made this today and everyone LOVED IT! I just used cucumber instead of zucchini but I bet it's great with zucchini too! I made homemade sorbet as dessert and it was the perfect dinner. Thank you! x

I read you from Spain, I follow the Weight Watchers program and have recently just discovered your blog. I must wonder, love it!! Earlier today I made ​​this recipe to eat and I have to say that the dressing is simply delicious. Thanks for all your recipes and your work, you're great!!

I am making this tomorrow night for a get-together! I am so excited. Because I am short on time, I am wondering if it is ok to cook the pasta ahead of time and mix it with the chopped veggies, then make the dressing and keep them separate just before serving. I was hoping to just bring it to room temperature and toss everything together about 30 minutes before the gathering starts.

Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing as Jessica (above). I'm planning on making this for Easter this weekend and want it to be the quickest prep time since I'll be assembling it at my mother in law's house. Gina?

Thanks so much for this delicious recipe! We've ditched our old macaroni salad recipe for this one - the flavors are so fresh and bright. I've added in different veggies in addition to the zucchini and tomotoes: yellow and green bell pepper are super yummy as well as broccoli and cauliflower florets. Thanks again - its the only macaroni salad we'll make from now on.